Experts highlight gains in biodiversity and measures to safeguard livelihoods

Experts at a United Nations event have highlighted China's experience in implementing a 10-year fishing ban in key waters of the Yangtze River basin, citing gains in aquatic biodiversity and support for former fishers.

From 2021 to 2025, 351 native fish species were recorded across the basin, 43 more than before the ban, according to data released by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs at the 37th Session of the Committee on Fisheries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

The population of the Yangtze finless porpoise, a flagship species of the basin, also rose from a historical low of 1,012 in 2017 to 1,426 in 2025.

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Zhuang Ping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, said effective resettlement and livelihood support for former fishers was essential to sustaining the ban.

Over the past five years, the Chinese government has registered 231,000 former fishers and provided assistance based on their circumstances, Zhuang said.

By the end of June, nearly all of the 139,000 who were able and willing to work had found employment, while 220,000 eligible former fishers had full pension coverage. Another 12,000 former fishers facing difficulties received minimum living allowances or temporary assistance.

China's experience highlights a broader challenge in conservation: restrictions aimed at protecting aquatic resources are hard to sustain unless affected communities have viable livelihoods.

Zhuang said law enforcement and supervision, along with the systematic protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, were equally important. Over the past five years, China has strengthened joint law enforcement and routine supervision, enhanced enforcement capacity and promoted the use of high-tech tools such as radar and drones.

He summarized China's experience in five principles: putting people first, prioritizing ecology, pursuing law-based governance, balancing different interests and building broad consensus.

Chen Jie, a researcher at the agriculture ministry, said the ban has not ended the Yangtze's thousands of years of fishing culture. Instead, it has created an opportunity for the culture to evolve, shifting its preservation from fishing production to heritage protection, education and cultural activities.

"We have established fishing culture museums at different levels and dedicated exhibition venues, using virtual reality and reconstructed real-life scenes to tell stories of the Yangtze's ecology to the public, particularly young people," Chen said.

"We have also promoted traditional folk activities, which have helped boost the rural nighttime tourism economy."

Localities have also used geographical-indication aquatic products, intangible cultural heritage-inspired creative products, science education and popular science initiatives to build distinctive and influential Yangtze fishing-culture brands, bringing elements of the culture closer to consumers through market-oriented products, she said.

More importantly, China has established the principle that "those who protect should benefit", she added.

Former fishers have received compensation for giving up fishing rights and scrapping boats and nets, subsidies for pension contributions, and transitional living allowances. They have also found stable employment through jobs such as ecological patrols and positions created through industrial transformation.

Well-being of fishers

Muhammad Farhan Khan, a delegate from Pakistan, said he was moved by China's presentation on the well-being of fishers.

"Pakistan has always been a flag-bearer for protecting small-scale fisheries and fishermen," he said. "We recognize the measures and actions taken by the Chinese government, and we would like to see similar practices in Pakistan and explore possible cooperation with China."

Henning Winker, a stock assessment frameworks specialist with the Secretariat of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean in Italy, said he was "fascinated by the scale and strength" of the Yangtze fishing ban.

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"From the presentation and related scientific literature, I understand that China has achieved very impressive results in restoring aquatic biodiversity and protecting the ecological environment," he said.

"Achieving this requires very strong governance — not only to enforce fishing ban measures, but also to compensate fishers; combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and ensure effective ecological restoration and monitoring."

Contact the writers at zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn